Educational Goals
The Foundation Stage is a distinct stage in children's development and is important in it's own right and in preparing children for later schooling. Nursery children enter the Foundation Stage soon after their third Birthday and continue
until they start Year 1 of the National Curriculum.
What are Early Learning Goals?
The Early Learning Goals were published by the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority in October 1999. There are 68 Early Learning Goals in the QCA's document and they set out what most children are expected to achieve by the end of the reception year.
Six areas of learning have been identified by the QCA:
- PERSONAL SOCIAL & EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT: which focuses on children learning how to work, play, co-operate with others and function in a group beyond the family.
- COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE & LITERACY: which focuses on children's developing competence in talking and listening, and in becoming readers and writers.
- MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT: which covers aspects of mathematical understanding and provides the foundation for numeracy.
- KNOWLEDGE & UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD: which focuses on children's developing knowledge and understanding of their environment, other people and features of the natural and made world.
- PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT: which focuses on children's developing physical control, mobility, awareness of space and manipulative skills in indoor and outdoor environments.
- CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT: which focuses on the development of children's imagination and their ability to communicate and to express ideas and feelings in creative ways.
Early Learning Goals Record Sheets are maintained (for every child 3 years or over) and are available for parents to inspection at any time. Upon leaving us these records can then be made available to school.